It's all about connections.Wikimedia Commons
If you're one of the 400,000 people sending a résumé to mega-consultancy Deloitte this year, you'll have a better shot if you come recommended.

In the 2014 fiscal year, approximately 44% of its experienced hires came from referrals, according to Jen Steinmann, the consultancy's chief talent officer.

"From our perspective, referrals allow us to tap into the vast network of our professionals to connect with talent that we might not have access to otherwise," she tells Business Insider. "It also enables us to identify future Deloitte professionals who likely share the same core values and commitment to excellence that we do."

Deloitte isn't the only mega-corp with a strong emphasis on referral-based hiring: Ernst & Young pulls in 45% of its non-entry job placements through referrals, while Enterprise Rent-A-Car is offering up iPads and other prizes to employees who recommend the right people.

She says that she views referrals as a "consistent and steady trend" in hiring at Deloitte, and that it "is and will continue to be an important source for experienced hire talent across our organization."

Of course, this strategy isn't perfect. Some argue that the relationship-based hiring process locks less-connected people out, as Mara Swan of job placement services company Manpower Groups explained to the New York Times.

"The long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged people don't have access to the network," she said. "The more you've been out of the workforce, the weaker your connections are."

"As a result of our commitment to fostering an inclusive culture and diverse workforce, we are able to attract and retain diverse talent through both traditional and referral-based recruiting methods," she tells us.